According to one embodiment, a gripping tool includes a gripper. The gripper is flexible and includes a first portion contacting a workpiece, a second portion opposing the first portion, and a granular material provided between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion includes a concave portion and a convex portion. The concave portion is recessed in a first direction. The first direction is from the first portion toward the second portion. The convex portion is provided around the concave portion and protrudes in a second direction. The second direction is the reverse of the first direction. The concave portion has a groove having a ring configuration recessed outward from a center of the gripper.

A gripper assembly is disclosed. The gripper assembly includes a stage, a mounting platform, and a plurality of the flexible gripper elements. The flexible gripper element is configured to grip an object. The flexible gripper elements are supported by a first end piece, where the first end piece is attached to the mounting platform. The mounting platform is connected to the stage, where the stage is moveable. The flexible gripper element includes a hollow section that is selectively pressurizable. The hollow section includes one or more zones, where each zone includes chambers which are pressurizable by a fluid input. The selective pressurization of the hollow section allows the flexible gripper element to grip the object.

A device for gripping an object that includes a main body having a first and a second endplate, a baseplate, at least one guide rail, and a first jaw and a second jaw, each receiving the at least one guide rail. The device also includes a first pulley assembly and a second pulley assembly respectively attached to the baseplate and a chain loop respectively attached to the first pulley assembly and the second pulley assembly. The chain loop includes a first chain length and a second chain length and a first link and a second link that attaches the first chain length and the second chain length. Each of the first link and second link include at least one dowel pin. The chain loop is attached to the first jaw and the second jaw by the at least one dowel pin of each of the first link and second link.

A gripper head assembly is for a robotic gripping system and includes an actuator. The actuator includes: an actuator body having an attachment region configured to attach the actuator body to the gripper head; a drive element having a mounting section for a tool; a drive having a connector configured to receive an input; the drive being configured to move the drive element upon receiving the input; the drive element defining a through passage; the through passage having a first port for receiving at least one of negative pressure and positive pressure; and, the through passage having an outlet at the mounting section configured to supply the tool with the at least one of negative and positive pressure.

Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in robotic systems to reduce biological or chemical harborage points on the systems. For example, in exemplary embodiments, robotic actuators, hubs, or entire robotic systems may be configured to allow crevices along joints or near fasteners to be reduced or eliminated, hard corners to be replaced with rounded edges, certain components or harborage points to be eliminated, shapes to be reconfigured to be smoother or flat, and/or or surfaces to be reconfigurable for simpler cleaning.

The invention relates to a method for monitoring a functional state of a pressure-driven actuator which comprises an actuator compartment defined at least in portions by a flexibly deformable wall, the actuator being actuated by applying pressure to the actuator compartment by means of an operating pressure supply, a work process being carried out to actuate the actuator, which process is accompanied by the actuator transitioning from a starting configuration to an end configuration. The pressure the pressure applied to the actuator compartment is measured depending on time by means of a sensor apparatus during the transition from the starting configuration to the end configuration. The invention also relates to a pressure-driven actuator.

Shape-shifting fingers may enable parallel-jaw gripper to re-grasp objects. In some embodiments, a gripper includes two fingers each having a flexible membrane which is moveable between an extended state and a retracted state in response to pressure applied to a cavity at least partially formed by the membrane. In the extended and retracted state the shape of the flexible membrane may change based on the pressure and/or a force applied to the membrane and may attain two distinct geometric forms to facilitate distinct manipulation functionalities. In some embodiments, the flexible membrane switches between a wedge-shaped geometry in the extended state and a V-shaped geometry in the retracted state. The wedge-shaped geometry may provide a point contact on a cylindrical object so that the object may pivot to a vertical position under the effect of gravity. The V-shaped geometry may localize the object in a vertical position and securely hold it.

An artificial epidermis structure capable of using a gel substance to adjust a frictional property with high precision is provided. When a front surface of a lid member comes into contact with a target object and pressure acts on the lid member, a part of the gel substance can escape into a space that is formed by concave portions on a front surface of a gel substance. Therefore, reduction in a repulsion force of the gel substance is achieved. Accordingly, the pressure can be appropriately transmitted to the gel substance via the lid member, and convex portions of the gel substance can be caused to easily bulge out over the front surface of the lid member via holes of the lid member.

In a soft grip unit, a grip device having the soft grip unit, and a driving method of the grip device, the soft grip unit includes a flexible cover, a particle, a negative pressure generator and a flexible supporting part. The flexible cover has a gripping surface on which a target object is attached and a reference surface coupled with the gripping surface. The particle is received by the receiving space, and transformed corresponding to a shape of the target object. The negative pressure generator is connected to the flexible cover. The negative pressure generator absorbs an air of the receiving space to contract the flexible cover. The flexible supporting part is tightly attached to the reference surface, and transformed at the same time when the flexible cover is pressurized and transformed by the target object.

A tree felling head comprising a frame is coupled to a boom assembly of a harvester. A saw is coupled to the frame and is configured to cut a tree. A sensor that senses cutting of the tree by the saw and outputs a first signal when the tree is cut by the saw. A grapple arm is coupled to the frame. At least one grapple arm actuator is coupled between the frame and the grapple arm. The grapple arm actuator is configured to move the grapple arm between a closed position, a gliding position, and an open position. A control system is in communication with the grapple arm actuator and the sensor. The control system receives the first signal output by the sensor and outputs a second signal to cause the grapple arm actuator to move the grapple arm to the gliding position.